Gloucester, New South Wales
(2011) | pop_footnotes= | elevation= 111 | elevation_footnotes= | maxtemp = | mintemp = | rainfall = | stategov = Upper Hunter | fedgov = Lyne | dist1 = 145 | location1= Newcastle | dist2 = 220 | location2= Sydney | near-n = | near-ne = | near-e = | near-se = | near-s = | near-sw = | near-w = | near-nw = }} Gloucester ( ), a town in dairy and beef cattle country, is located in Gloucester Shire, within the Manning district on the Mid North Coast of the state of New South Wales, Australia. Gloucester is situated on the North Coast railway line and can be accessed from the southeast from Newcastle, located via the Bucketts Way, or from the north via Thunderbolts Way. Gloucester River flows adjacent to the town, just above its junction with the Avon River. At the 2011 census, Gloucester had a population of people. History The Gloucester district was first visited by Robert Dawson, Chief Agent for the Australian Agricultural Company in 1826. Settlement occurred in the 1830s. The township of Gloucester was first established in 1855, primarily for sheep farming, however it became apparent that the land was not entirely suitable. The four main industries of the Gloucester area are: tourism, timber, cattle farming and more. The timber industry has been prevalent in Gloucester since the late 19th century, and it and cattle farming are still major industries in and around Gloucester; both dairy and beef cattle. In 1876, gold was discovered in Copeland, a small town north-west of Gloucester. Copeland became a large town of over inhabitants due to the gold discovery and the large number of red cedar trees. However, the population has since dwindled to a population of a few hundred. The Australian Agricultural Company was originally awarded mineral rights to between the Karuah River and the Manning River which covered the Gloucester district. The company employed surveyors in 1856-7 to undertake a trial survey for a railway between Port Stephens and Stroud and further north to the Manning River, passing what became Gloucester. At the time it was felt that with the "formidable obstructions" from ranges and rivers, a railway line would be impracticable and construction did not proceed, and coal mining was abandoned before it had commenced. In 1995, Gloucester Coal, originally Stratford Coal, began mining in Stratford a small village south of Gloucester, and has since spread throughout the region, possibly having acquired rights held by Australian Agricultural Company, as the mining activity is confined to their original boundaries. In March 1972 the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Roden Cutler, VC and Lady Cutler toured the district and attended a formal Civic Reception at the Gloucester Bucketts Motel. For most of the twentieth century it boasted two cinemas in the main thoroughfare - Church Street: The Star (opposite Permewans, closed c1968), and the Majestic Theatre, that was built in the early 1920s. The Majestic permanently closed its doors circa 1980 and the building still stands, now redeveloped as a shopping arcade. The district's weekly newspaper is the The Gloucester Advocate. Gallery Gloucester Valley 2013 June.jpg|A view of the town of Gloucester, the Gloucester River, and Gloucester Valley, from Bucketts Tops, 2013. Gloucester 3.JPG|The Bucketts Range, Gloucester, 2008. Dairy farming (3575073592).jpg|Dairy farming in the Gloucester Valley, 1908. Photo courtesy of the NSW State Records Authority. References External links *Gloucester Information Page *Gloucester Baptist - Local Baptist Church Category:Suburbs of Gloucester Shire Category:Towns in the Hunter Region